craigslist More Leads Inside: o Introduction o Setting up an account o Sample ads 1 How to Use to Generate

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1 How to Use craigslist to Generate More Leads Inside: o Introduction o Setting up an account o Sample ads 1 o Posting Ugly Yellow Signs o Community tips and strategies!

2 Introduction to craigslist How Much Does it Cost to Advertise on craigslist? Placing a posting on craigslist does not cost a cent! craigslist is a FREE online community where people exchange information and services. What Are the Steps for Creating a Posting on craigslist? The first step is to visit to set up your account. Establishing an account takes less than five minutes and allows you to place postings. We have included over 14 screenshots to help walk you through the setup process. How Long Will a Posting be Active on craigslist? Your craigslist posting will remain live for forty-five days before being removed from their system. However, new postings appear first on the page; pushing older postings down so fewer visitors see the posting. What Would Cause a Posting to Be Flagged and Removed? craigslist does not have an official review policy, but instead relies on fellow members and the community to self-regulate the content. The number one reason a posting will be flagged is if it has been placed in an incorrect category. However, many BY REFERRAL ONLY members have discovered that local agents hoping to gain a competitive edge are flagging their listings. Any posting flagged twice is automatically removed. There are no consequences for being flagged. Chris Hancock has had over 77 postings flagged and has not received any communication from craigslist that his membership status is in jeopardy. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 2/17

3 Do Postings Ever Need To be Reposted? Since new postings appear first on the craigslist system, your previous posting will continue to be pushed further and further back. Because of this, it is important to repost several times a week. Reposting is a simple process that only takes a few minutes, but dramatically increases the effectiveness of your posting. What Tools Exist to Make Postings Easier and More Effective? A number of members have experienced great success using postlets to help develop their postings. To set up a free account with postlets, visit Postlets will create and host a dedicated classified ad on postlets.com and submit your posting to over 10 classified search engines including craigslist. Postlets will also provide you with the HTML code for the posting. What Postings Have Been Generating Results for Members? The feedback from BY REFERRAL ONLY members is that the same verbiage used on the All-Purpose Cards and Ugly Yellow Signs has generated the best results. One member, Chris Hancock, found this approach to be so successful that he had to stop posting his listings on craigslist because he was inundated with leads. We have included over 15 different sample ads contributed by fellow BY REFERRAL ONLY members. These ads have generated fantastic results for members who have used them. Member Breakthrough Note From Brad Butner BY REFERRAL ONLY member Brad Butner has found craigslist to be the perfect venue to promote his listings and attract Five-Star Prospects. Asked if craigslist works the same everywhere, Brad responded, craigslist is especially interesting because its effectiveness can dramatically vary based on location. I ve visited with members that consistently close one or two transactions a month from craigslist, while other members will post and never receive a single call. I guess the key is to keep testing until you discover what works in your area, especially since it is free. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 3/17

4 Setting up a craigslist account Step 1- Type in your browser. craigslist.org craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, personals, services, local community, and events. Step 2 Click on my account. Step 3 Enter your preferred address and type in the verification code. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 4/17

5 Step 4 You will receive a message directing you to your to activate your account. Step 5 Click on the link embedded in the from craigslist. Step 6 Select your craigslist password. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 5/17

6 Step 7 Accept the craigslist terms of use. Step 8 Congratulations! You now have an account. To begin your first posting, click go. Step 9 Click on housing offered under the various types. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 6/17

7 Step 10 Click on real estate for sale under the various categories. Step 11 Create your posting by filling in the various fields and click continue. craigslist Tips Postings descriptions default to plain text; however, you can copy and paste HTML code into the field. Select the anonymous address provided by craigslist to avoid receiving unsolicited s. Prospective buyers love photographs! Whenever possible, make sure to include photographs and illustrations with your postings. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 7/17

8 Step 12 Preview your posting. If satisfied, click continue to post on craigslist. Next, you will receive confirmation that your posting is in the process of going live. You will then receive an from craigslist notifying you that your posting has listed. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 8/17

9 Sample Ads for craigslist Home For Sale Nice Tree-Lined Street Free Recorded Message xxx-xxxx Ext. xxx Agent Details Contributed by Chris Hancock Why Rent When You Can Buy? Visit my website! Don t throw your money away on rent and have nothing to show for it! It s a BUYERS market and I can get you a mortgage, I have several programs with no money down! Call me today Patrick getmortgagefreedom.com Contributed by Patrick Keefauver Must Sell Today Low / Zero Down FREE Recorded Message xxx-xxxx Ext. xxx Agent Details Contributed by Chris Hancock Member Breakthrough Note From Chris Hancock BY REFERRAL ONLY member Chris Hancock has found that posting the above messages with the same verbiage as he uses on his Ugly Yellow Signs and All-Purpose Cards generates more calls to his recorded message. Chris posts these messages under real estate for sale and services offered. Chris s postings are occasionally flagged and he says, It s generally another agent that is doing the flagging. I ve actually gotten accustomed to my postings being removed. It does not bother me anymore. Three days a week I am updating my postings, so I just go ahead and repost any flagged items. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 9/17

10 Attention Investors Nice Rental Property FREE Recorded Message xxx-xxxx Ext. xxx Agent Details Bank Owned Home Gov t Loans Available FREE Recorded Message xxx-xxxx Ext. xxx Agent Details Owner in Distress Let s Make a Deal FREE Recorded Message xxx-xxxx Ext. xxx Agent Details Contributed by Chris Hancock craigslist Helped Brad Make Over $25,555 in 45 Days Thanks to his use of HTML code, Brad Butner s craigslist postings always stand out from the competition. Brad s postings always include eight to ten photos, virtual tours, links to his site, and a thorough description of the home. Brad s craigslist postings have helped him generate over $25,555 in commissions in the last 45 days! MyByReferralOnly.com Page 10/17

11 Creating an Ugly Yellow Sign for Posting on craigslist Note: Microsoft Publisher is the optimal (PC) tool to create an Ugly Yellow Sign Ad to post on craigslist because it allows you to save a file as a jpeg image. Step 1 Open Publisher. Click on File > New to open a new document. Step 2 Click on the Text Box button, then click in the document, and create the size of text box you desire. Step 3 Double click on the text box border, displaying various formatting options. Click on the drop down menu next to color and select the color you desire. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 11/17

12 Home For Sale Zero Down Payment Step 4 Inside of the text box, enter the content for your Ugly Yellow Sign Ad. Make necessary adjustments to the font, font size, and centering. Free Recorded Message Ext. 555 Step 5 Save your file as a jpeg image by clicking on File then Save As. Step 6 Select the folder you will save to, and type the file name in the File name window. Click the drop-down arrow in the Save as type window, select JPEG File, and click Save. Step 7 On the same menu, click Change and click the radio button for Web (96 dpi) resolution. Then click the OK button and Save. Congratulations! You have successfully created your Ugly Yellow Sign Ad for posting on craigslist. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 12/17

13 Ugly Yellow Sign Postings Used by Chris Hancock MyByReferralOnly.com Page 13/17

14 A Special Message Board Thread! The BY REFERRAL ONLY Message Board is a fantastic resource available to you 24 hours a day. Joe and Dean have spent extensive time on the Message Board personally addressing the various needs and requests of members. A special Message Board thread has been created for this Member Breakthrough entitled craigslist Member Breakthrough Questions and Comments. Below are examples of the type of powerful insight and coaching you will receive by participating in the Message Board exchange. Creating an Ugly Yellow Sign Post Using Microsoft Paint Chris Hancock Posted: Nov 25, :09 PM There is no template for the craigslist All-Purpose card; you have to create it, and once you do, you can create several for a variety of postings. Here's how I made mine: Provided that you're running MS Windows (if you have MAC or LYNUX, I have no clue): 1. Open MS Paint - Start menu, go to accessories, go to Paint. 2. With a blank page, color the background yellow. Just use the little paint can icon and select yellow. 3. With a yellow background, select the text box icon. 4. Draw a sizeable text box and type your message. 5. Select the paint can again and color the area arount the text yellow. 6. Save the picture as a JPEG file. Now when you post to craigslist, you can upload your "APC" as a picture. Here's how I do it - and I rarely get flagged: Post a specific listing to craigslist - if you don't have one, borrow one. In the text body, briefly describe the listing and the following: "Need more information?" "Call xxxx Ext. xx for a FREE Recorded Message" Now go down to where you can upload pictures of the property. Upload three pictures of the listing AND your JPEG - "APC" picture. By doing this, I've found that the same visitor to my posting will not only call the specific listing script in the text body, but they will also call the All-Purpose card attached as a picture. Best Wishes ~ Chris Hancock MyByReferralOnly.com Page 14/17

15 On September 20th 2007, BY REFERRAL ONLY member Patrick Keefauver started a craigslist Message Board thread. Since that time, more than 70 comments have been exchanged between members covering issues from setting up an account to advanced posting strategies. The material covered in this thread is amazing. It is highly recommended that you take a few minutes to review the tips and strategies that have already been posted. How to Post the Same Listing to craigslist Every Day Chris Hancock Posted: 01:46 PM Greetings Blitzers, If you're like me, one of the frustrations in dealing with craigslist is that the forum will prevent you from "overposting." I have been playing with the site for a few days now, and have found the specific areas that craigslist looks for to determine if a post is a recent repeat, and therefore will reject it. In fact, just to make sure I was on the right track, I posted the same listing five times in one hour today, with pictures, and it was accepted everytime. craigslist seems to look at three specific areas within the post to determine if it is a recent repeat or not. 1. The Posting Title 2. The Posting Description 3. The Attached Images ( I think it's the actual file name and order in which they're attached that trips the system) The Posting Title - Change the title often. For the same listing in one post I might say "Bank-Owned Home," for a second post I might put "1st-Time Buyer's Dream," and for a third post I might put "Investors Look Here." The Posting Description - I use the same description for my postings that I use in the Marketing Comments of my MLS - makes it easy to cut and paste. For craigslist, I've found that by re-arranging the sentence order, adding a few words, etc. the posting will be accepted as a new posting. The Attached Images - I usually take about 12 to 15 pics of my listings. As long as I don't repeat the same four images in the exact four placement locations, craigslist doesn't seem to catch it. Being in Modesto, CA, I have the luxury of being able to post in no less than 30 nearby towns and cities. I don't know if this technique will work if you post the same listing/ post in the same town - haven't tried. Below are the postings I was able to place today. All of these are the same home for sale, just little variations in wording, title, and picture order. Hope this helps. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 15/17

16 Tips and Strategies from the BY REFERRAL ONLY Community 1. Sign up for a craigslist account. This helps you keep track of your ads and makes it easy to recycle. 2. To increase your ad exposure, repost your ads at least three times a week. 3. Sign up for a free Web traffic meter such as mywebstats.org to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing. 4. Place HTML codes at the bottom of all your posts to promote multiple listings from one post and point visitors to your Web site. 5. Make your ads generic for easy revision and recycling. 6. You can use craigslist to market specific properties or to promote traffic to your mywebleads and/or Web site. 7. Set up a free account at This service submits your listings to over 10 other classified search engines. 8. Use HTML on your ads and take control of how they look. There is a lot you can do with a craigslist posting. 9. Do not get frustrated if your posting is flagged. It is bound to happen. It is likely your competitor, trying to get an edge! Rather than get discouraged, just go ahead and repost the listing. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 16/17

17 Member Member Breakthroughs Member Breakthroughs spotlight what strategies are currently generating bankable results for fellow BY REFERRAL ONLY members. The information presented focuses on what has been working for the members being highlighted and may need to be tweaked for your particular market or style of business. Member Breakthroughs help illustrate how real estate and mortgage consultants inside the community are applying different techniques. Tips from Dean Be cautious of not discounting an entire strategy because one or two pieces have not worked for you in the past. The purpose of Member Breakthroughs is to get you thinking about how you can put your personal thumbprint on a similar strategy. Your mission is to review the materials being presented and sift for the nuggets that WILL work in your marketplace today. Let Your Voice Be Heard! If you want to be spotlighted in a future Member Breakthrough or have a suggestion for a topic you would like to see addressed, Todd Asbell at toddasbell@byreferralonly.com. Copyright 2007 BY REFERRAL ONLY. This information is solely advisory and should not be substituted for legal, financial or tax advice. Any and all financial decisions and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a qualified attorney, financial advisor and/or CPA. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without proper financial, legal, or tax advice. MyByReferralOnly.com Page 17/17